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This is a question Forestville dairy farmer Doug Fairbanks would like answered.

Fairbanks says, "For the past 18 months, we have experienced severely depressed USDA pay price of milk to farmers, while retail stores are getting $3 plus for a gallon of milk. A lot of that is on 1 percent and 2 percent diluted down milk while what I get per hundred weight milk equates roughly to $1 a gallon," he says.

Fairbanks goes on to say even if it could be assumed that there is a 30 percent processing cost, the retail cost still turns into over five times what the farmer receives.

"There is no risk involved on a (milk) product that brings people into a store every few days. You cannot forget the yogurt, cheese and butter that are made from the by product of the reduction process," Fairbanks points out.

All of this, he says, is leading to what he calls "The Death of the Family Farm."

This fact is evident here in Chautauqua County.

Dairy farms are diminishing rapidly as more and more dairy farmers have given up and/or retired. There was a time when dairy farms thrived in this county and were passed onto younger family members, such as occurred with the Fairbanks.

Doug's parents, Doug and Linda Fairbanks, took over their dairy farm from two of the older Doug's uncles. That makes the younger Doug the third generation of his family to operate the Forestville farm.

Linda says the USDA dairy milk pricing process that sets the pay the farmer receives for his milk production, was established in the Depression Era and hasn't changed much since.

"Today, the dairy farmer is receiving about the same pay for the milk as we received 40 years ago," she says.

Yet, the cost of doing business hasn't remained the same as it was 40 years ago. Sinclairville resident Nate Wilson, who operated a dairy farm for 39 years, sold off his cows this past March.

"I decided because the financial cost of operating a farm was so draining, there was no point in continuing," he says.

There have been substantial cost increases over the past couple of years that have significantly impacted the dairy farmer, Wilson continues.

"I don't think farmers should subsidize the processors and retailers and New York State Ag and Markets Laws are being selectively enforced," he says.

He also claims the USDA operates on a similar basis.

"The Mercantile Board of Trade which sets the cheese price that affects the price dairy farmers receive for their milk is manipulated," something he says would be revealed if Congress would conduct an audit.

"There are guys (farmers) in so deep in debt, the banks don't want to foreclose on them," he says.

He adds, "There is no doubt in my mind this all has an impact on the county's economy since one dairy cow generates about $14,000 a year to this economy."

New York Farm Bureau's communication director Peter Gregg says the price per 100 weight of milk the farmer receives has historically followed a lot of peaks and valleys

"There has been a lot of discussion about this and state Senator Cathy Young and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand are pursuing new farm bills that will address this," he says, echoing what Linda Fairbanks says about the USDA establishing the milk pricing.

"It's been in place since the Depression is based on supply and demand with the USDA determining what this price is," he explains.

He also says the cost of doing dairy business in Western New York is expensive.

"Today's farmer is faced with never ending expenses from taxes, fees and unfunded mandates that come from Albany," Gregg says.

He adds that while Sen. Young is fighting for the dairy farmer by doing what she can for the industry, New York City legislators don't have a clue what needs to be done and don't care, he says.

Across the country, the price dairy farmers receive for their product is low right now but, he adds, "The operating cost of dairy farms in upstate New York is twice as high as it is in other areas of the country."

Why do dairy farmers continue to operate their farms, given these circumstances? Gregg thinks he has the answer.

"Dairy farming is not just a business; it's a lifestyle the farmers want to pursue and there is a need for milk - people continue to drink it," he says.

He also agrees with Wilson's position on the impact dairy farms have on the local economy.

"There is a common economic connection between dairy farming and collateral businesses," he says.

But none of this answers Fairbanks' question about where the money generated by dairy farming goes.

One think for sure; he knows it's not into his pocket or bank account.